Cervical Cancer

What is cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that is found in a woman’s cervix. The cervix sometimes referred to as the neck of the
womb connects a woman’s womb to her vagina. In the UK, 3,200 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year.* This type
of cancer is more common in younger women, more than half of the cases of cervical cancer each year are found in women under
the age of 45.**

What causes cervical cancer?

The main causes of cervical cancer are the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). HPV is a group of common viruses, that can be
passed on via any kind of sexual activity or intercourse. Using condoms can lower your risk of getting the sexually
transmitted infection (STI) however the infection is caused by skin to skin contact with the wider genital area and a condom
will not fully cover the genitalia. Other strains of HPV can cause genital warts, having this STI does not mean that you have cancer.

Most women will come into contact with the HPV infection in their lifetime, however there are many strains of HPV and not all of them are harmful.

There is no treatment for HPV virus itself, only its effects so vaccinating can protect against certain harmful strains of the virus. Women and men can have the HPV vaccine at any time, although it’s most effective before you become sexually active. For discreet, free advice on whether it’s suitable for you, visit LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor’s HPV Vaccine Clinic.

What are the signs of cervical cancer?

Many women will not notice any signs that they have cervical cancer; sometimes the symptoms are not obvious and can be
overlooked. Cervical cancer may not be noticeable until it has reached an advanced stage, which is why it is important to
attend all of your cervical screenings. Consult our cervical cancer symptoms guide for more information.

How do you treat cervical cancer?

The treatment for cervical cancer depends upon how far the cancer has spread and what stage it has reached. Cancer
treatments are often complex and hospitals always aim to tailor the treatments to the individual. To find out more about the
treatments available for cervical cancer read our treatment guide.

A cervical screening test detects abnormal cells within your cervix. If you have an abnormal test result it does not mean
that you have cancer and if precancerous cells present they can be detected and treated early by routine smear tests.

Smoking tobacco increases your risk of getting cervical cancer*, the more you smoke and the younger you start smoking also
affect your chances of developing cancer.

If you have specific information or communication support needs, please let us know in advance and we will do our best to meet these needs. LloydsPharmacy Online website is owned and provided by LloydsPharmacy Limited a Company incorporated in England and Wales under company number 758153. Our VAT Number is 222516987.